Material moving apparatus



p 1966 R. N. DOLPHIN 3,270,689

MATERIAL MOVI NG APPARATUS Filed March 16, 1964 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. ROBERT N. DOLPHIN w LW A T TORNE Y Sept 6, 1966 R. N. DOLPHKN3,

MATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS Filed March 16, 1964 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. ROBERT N. DOLPHIN BY A? T TORNEY United States Patent3,270,689 MATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS Robert N. Dolphin, Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada, assiguor to Mat-Mo Holdings Ltd., NorthBurnaby,

British Columbia, Canada, a corporation of British Columbia Filed Mar.16, 1964, Ser. No. 352,234 1 Claim. (Cl. 103-263) The invention relatesto apparatus for moving materials, and more particularly to apparatusfor educing a flow of liquids, semi-solids and solids.

Conventional pumps have been used for many years for transferringmaterials in land reclamation projects, mining operations, dredging andlike fields of endeavor requiring large volume or continuous transfer ofmaterials from one point to another. However, conventional pumps haveboth economic and mechanical limitations in handling large volume over along distance. Recently experiments have been made with eduction pumps,which conventionally utilize the venturi principle by water flow througha venturi throat.

I have invented apparatus based upon the eduction principle utilizingair flow to educe other materials, such as granules, mud or solids.Since large volumes of educ ing fluid are essential to any eductionpump, the unlimited availability of the fluid air as compared to thefluid water weighs heavily on the side of air eduction devices.

The invention contemplates apparatus for educing materials thatcomprises a base, a housing on the base, an eductive tube extendingthrough the cylindrical housing and projecting from one side of thehousing. Connecting means extend between the material to be educed andthe input end of the eductive tube. A drive shaft rotatable with respectto the eductive tube is coaxial therewith. Power means rotate the driveshaft which has turbine means fixed thereto adapted to effect a flow ofair. Confining means downstream enclose the air flow, .and a venturithroat is adjacent the output end of the eductive tube. Conducting meansconnect to the volume adjacent the venturi throat and are adapted toreceive and transmit both the educed material and the air volume fromthe turbine means. Preferably, the power means, which may be a motor orother engine, has a hollow drive shaft through which the eductive tubeextends.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the drive shaft mounts aturbine means which includes a plurality of turbine fans or rotorsbetween which turbine stators are disposed. The blades on the successiveturbine rotors and stators vary in pitch, the pitch of the blades on thefirst turbine fan with respect to the rotational axis of the drive shaftbeing less than the pitch of the last or downstream turbine fan blades.

It is believed that the articular arrangement of the rotors and statorsimpart-s to the air stream impelled by the rotation of the rotors aswirling or helical pattern within the air-confining funnel which leadsto the venturi throat. The spiral air flow pattern is believed toencourage smooth air flow through the throat into the lesser volume ofthe receiving conduit. The smoothness of air flow tends to increase theamount of material that may be educed through an eductive tube of agiven diameter. Also, the power requirements to move .a given load ofmaterial are substantially reduced because of the smooth air flowpattern.

These and other advantages of the invention are apparent in thefollowing detailed description and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention having adetached electrical motor drive;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the embodiment of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the preferred embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic section, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, andillustrates the configuration of the rotor and stator blades; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 an eduction turbine 10 is supported by a rectangularplatform 11 that may rest upon a ground surface 12.. An electric drivemotor 1-4 is also fixed to the base. A large pulley sheave 16 is fixedto the drive shaft of the motor. A drive belt 17 connects between sheave'16 .and a small pulley sheave 18 fixed to a hollow drive shaft 19extending from the turbine eductor 10.

The turbine eductor comprises a cylindrical housing 21 having aplurality of external braces 23 and a base plate 24 that is fixed toplatform 11.

A conical air-confining shroud 26 is fixed to the downstream end ofcylindrical housing 21. The shroud surrounds an eductive tube 28 whichextends through drive shaft 19 of the turbine eductor. The eductive tubehas an intake portion 28A and a discharge portion 28B. An intake conduit31 is fastened to the intake portion of the eductive tube. The intakeend 3-2 of the conduit may, as shown in FIG. 2, be submerged in water 33of a pond 34 and educe material from beneath the water. A flanged end 35of shroud 26 connects with a discharge conduit 36 whose discharge end 37emits the material educed from pond 34.

A restricted venturi throat 41 is defined by a circular end 42 of theeductive tube and a reduced inner diameter 43 of shroud 26 adjacent thetube. The rotors (not shown) of the turbine eductor direct a largevolume of air into the shroud and past the end of the eductive tube.Fluid flow in large volume past the end of the tube educes materialthrough conduit 31 and tube 2.8 at high velocity. The air and the educedmaterial commingle at the venturi and are impelled through dischargeconduit 36 to its discharge end 37 by the air flow from the turbineeductor.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. Aneductor turbine 41 has a turbine housing 42 at its input end and asecond flange 45 at its output end. The housing is preferablycylindrical and externally braced by longitudinal ribs, such as top andbottom ribs 47, 48 of FIG. 3.

A journal spider assembly 49 is bolted to input flange 44. The spiderassembly supports a journal hub 51 having a bearing sleeve 52. Thebearing sleeve journals a propulsion shaft 54 that extends on eitherside of sleeve 52 and journal hub 51. The downstream extent of the shaft54 terminates just beyond housing 42 in a reduced diameter portion 56upon which is mounted a second bearing sleeve 5-8. The bearing sleeve ishoused in a second bearing journal 59 supported by a second journalspider assembly 61. The spider assembly is fastened within a conicalcompression section 63 which is fixed to output flange 45 of the turbinehousing.

The upstream end of the propulsion shaft protrudes leftwardly in FIG. 3from journal bearing hub 51. A hollow motor drive shaft 71 is fixed tothe propulsion shaft by a key 72. Armature windings 74 of an electricmotor 75 surround the hollow drive shaft of the motor. The outer housing76 is held against rotation by torque ties 78 secured to the housing endof the turbine pump.

When power is supplied to the electric motor the armature and the hollowpower shaft turn the propulsion shaft of the turbine through key 72. Thepropulsion shaft turns freely within bearing sleeves 52 and 58.

An eductive tube 81 extends through the propulsion shaft from a pointupstream of the electric motor to a point beyond compression shroud 63.The upstream end of the eductive tube is adapted to receive intakeconduit amass 3 (not shown) in the manner shown and described withrespect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Compression shroud 63, as stated before, is conical in configuration. Ashroud flange 83 is fixed to the larger end of the shroud. Securingmeans, such as bolts 85, fix the shroud flange in position againstoutput flange 45 of the turbine housing 42. The reduced diameter, orsmaller end, of the shroud has an annular flange 86 to which a venturicone 37 is affixed by means of a flange 88 and bolts 89. The venturicone has an output flange 91 to which output conduit may be fastened.

The intermediate portion 54A of the propulsion shaft supports aplurality of turbine rotors 93, 94, 95. Each rotor is keyed to shaft 54to turn therewith within housing 42.

Bladed stators 97, 98 are fixed within the housing intermediate theturbine wheels. The stators and rotors have a configuration shown inmore detail in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In operation the turbine pump 41 of FIG. 3 is similar to pump 11 ofFIGS. 1 and 2. When motor 75 is actuated, the propulsion shaft turnsabout the eductive tube which is fixed by a plurality of set screws 101which are threadably engaged with bearing journal housing 59.Anti-friction bearings, such as the bearing 105, may be placed betweenthe eductive tube and propulsion shaft to reduce turning frictionbetween those two members.

As the propulsion shaft turns, turbine rotors 93, 94, 95 are rotatedwithin housing 42, and air flow is induced through housing 42 intocompression shroud 63. The air impelled into compression shroud 63 isbelieved to have a whirling motion about the eductive tube 81. Thetremendous volume of air passing through the annular throat (defined bythe inner periphery of cone 87 and the outer periphery of tube 81)induces material flow through the eductive tube. Material adjacent theinput end of the conductor tube is educed from its situs and mixed withthe spiraling air from the turbine eductor and propelled from theventuri cone into the discharge conduit.

As stated heretofore, the use of an eductive tube that is coaxial withthe axis of rotation of the turbine blades, combined with therelationship between the respective blade pitches of turbine rotors andbladed stators is believed to result in a basically helical air fiowpattern within venturi cone 87. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5,housing 42 is seen to surround and confine the flow from turbine rotors93, 94, 95. Upstream turbine rotor 93 has a plurality of blades.93A93TT, fixed to a hub 108. Hub 108 has a keyway 109 through which akey 111 imbedded in the propulsion shaft extends.

Turbine rotor 93 is the first rotor on the shaft and has the pluralityof turbine blades fixed to its hub at an angle V to axis 112 of theshaft. Obviously the rotors rotate about axis 112. Stator 97 has aplurality of turbine blades 97A-97TT. The blades of stator 97 areattached to a hub 115 at an angle W to axis 112. Rotor 94 has aplurality of turbine blades 94A-94TT evenly spaced about the peripheryof a hub 116 and set at an angle X to axis 112. Stator 98 has aplurality of blades 98A-98TT evenly spaced about a stator hub 118 andfixed to the hub at an angle Y to axis 112. Rotor 95 has a plurality ofturbine blades 95A-95TT fixed to a rotor hub 119 and 4 evenly spacedabout the periphery thereof. Each turbine blade is set in the hub at anangle Z to axis 112.

In a preferred embodiment the angles V through Z are, respectively, 30,50, 50, 60 and 60 degrees. The pitch of the turbine blades to the axisvaries with the load of the apparatus and with the operating speed ofthe propulsion shaft.

As may be noted from FIG. 5, stators 97 and 98 are interposed betweenrotors 93, 94 and 94, 95, respectively. Each stator has a hub 118 and ablow-by ring 122. The blades of each stator are fixed as by welding tothe respective hub and the ring at the angles previously described. Thusthe hub, blades and ring form a stator assembly that is fixed withinhousing 42.

Each of the turbine rotors 93, 94, is keyed to shaft 54, as describedwith respect to rotor 93. The rotors turn in unison and air accelerationis induced by the difference in the turbine blade pitch from rotor torotor.

The rotor diameter of a present embodiment is 14 inches. In athree-stage turbine, such as that illustrated, an input horsepower of 2/2 H1. is practicable. Tests of pumps in this size and power rangeindicate that most materials-moving jobs can be accomplished withgreater efliciency than heretofore possible.

Many variations within the scope of the invention will occur to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, I wish the invention to be defined by theappended claim rather than by the illustrative description and drawinghereinabove.

I claim:

Apparatus for educing flow of solid, semi-solid and fluid materialscomprising a base, a cylindrical housing on the base, bearing meanssupported by the housing, a tubular drive shaft extending through thehousing and supported by the bearing means, an eductive tube extendingthrough the tubular drive shaft and beyond each end of the housing,means adapted to provide relative rotation between the eductive tube andthe drive shaft, a plurality of turbine rotors fixed to the drive shaftat spaced intervals thereon, a plurality of turbine stators fixed to thehousing and interposed between the spaced turbine rotors, a conicalshroud affixed at its large end to the cylindrical housing, saideductive tube extending through the housing and the shroud and beyondthe diminished end of the shroud, a tapering venturi throat surroundingthe extending end of the eductive tube, the relative diameters of theeductive tube and the venturi throat being such that air flow directedthrough the shroud and the throat by the turbine rotors and statorseduoes a flow of materials through the eductive tube to be dischargedfrom the venturi throat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1941 Jendrassik230-122 2,825,290 3/1958 Bakker 103-263 MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

WARREN E. COLEMAN, Examiner.

